Cold-storage apparatus.



I C. L. MERITHEW. COLD STORAGE APPARATUS. "APPLICATION FILED 1AN.26. mls.

Patented Deo. 19,1916

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Patented Dec. 19,1916.

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MERITHEW.

COLD STORAGE 'APPARATUS. APPLICATION vFILED 1AN.26. 191e.

CHARLES L. MERITEW, 0F BUCKLEY, MICHIGAN.

Conn-STORAGE APPARATUS.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

Application led January 26,Y 1916. Serial No. 74,414.

, for use in conjunction with domestic or other refrigerators. v Y

The primary object of the invention' is to provide a type of such apparatus, wherein the cold, to be obtained from the usual waste drip from refrigerators, is to be utilized as the cooling medium forV an auxiliary container havingv the form of a dumb-waiter,

knormally disposed inthe basement or cellar,

of a store, or other building, and adapted to be raised and lowered to andv from the -upper floorsy of the latter.

i Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the type mentioned with means whereby a portion of the cold air of the refrigerator is utilized, in conjunction with the water drip, of the saine, to

further coolA the latter, and to further cool 'i .vided with a hinged closure 14, tted thereto the well in which the auxiliary containeris movably supported.

,A `further object of thev invention is to provide the apparatus with means whereby7 the drip water may be dispensed with, if desired, and passed directly'to a waste outlet provided for the purpose. which preferably discharges below the basement or cellar door, orotherwise suitably connected to a sewerage conduit.

Vith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the certain new and novel construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which j Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical section of a building with the preferred form of the invention installed therein, and arranged for operation in conjunction with a known type of refrigerator, the latter being shown in elevation, Fig. 2 is `a vertical transverse section through the partition in a modified form of refrigerator, showing an arrangement of pipes therein for the leading off of a portion of the cold air and the waste drip for use in the auxiliaryV cooling device or apparatus, Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse sectionshowing a second modified form and arrangement of the air and drip pipes, Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section ofanother modified form and arrangement of pipe connection for the utilization of the water drip only, and, Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the piping system, ras illustrated in Fig.y 3, `but showing the Y construction of the same in detail.,

Referring to the drawings, in whichsimilar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views thereof, the numeral 10 indicates a dumb-waiter well, preferably of concrete constructiom supported on the floor level of the Vbasement or cellar of a building, as shown, .and projecting upwardly through the floor, or floors thereof, and having an openingnormally .closed byva door 11, through which articles may be extracted from or placed within a container or dumb-waiter 12, which is adapted to be raised and lowered within the well by means of a cable 13, or other suitable or usual means, common in dumb-waiter hoisting mechanisms.

The container or dumb-waiter 12 is proin any manner to form an air and watertight closure for the same, and is preferably constructed of concrete, although yanyother suitable material may be used for the purpose.

' 'A refrigerator, or other ice container, 15,

erage system.

Inclined downward from an intermediate point of the stand-pipe 16, and connecting with the well 10, is a pipe 18, which is arranged to discharge immediately above the top wall of the container or dumb-waiter 12, when the latter is in Aits lowered position, so that the water, from the refrigerator drip,

is splashed over the wall and runs down between the walls of the well and the side walls of the container, and collects sufliciently to entirely surround and cover 4the latter, until it reaches the level of a waste discharge 19, formed in the wall of the well, at a point directly opposite the discharge opening of the pipe 18. Y

For directing the flow of the drip water into the pipe 18, a valve 2O is positioned within the stand-pipe 16, immediately below the connection of the former with the latter, the valve being normally closed for the purpose, and operated to open position, when it is desired to dispense with the water, and allows the same to pass downward to the discharge outlet 17.

For the purpose of utilizing a portion of the cold air in a refrigerator, the invention contemplates a modified form of refrigerator, or a modified form of piping for the eXit of the drip, combined with a pipe for the extraction of a portion of the air, and, in its simplest form, Fig. 2, comprises an inclined pipe section '21, located in the partition and projecting, at one end, through the bottom wall of the refrigerator, and supporting a nozzle 22, of substantially inverted funnel-like formation, and having its wall formed to provide openings 23, through which is to be drawn or sucked the coldair, of the floor level, the upper end of the standpipe lbeing flared, as at 24, in a reverse direction to form a seat for the nozzle, and to'permit of unrestricted passage of the air therethrough. The upper end of the pipe 21 terminates at the level of the ice chamber 25, of a conventional form of refrigerator, and is provided with a flared opening 26, which is adapted to receive and support a funnelshaped strainer 27. At a point intermediate the opposite ends of the pipe 21 is arranged a soil trap 28, which opens through the wall, of the partition 29, of the refrigerator, and which is normally closed by a screw plug 30.

Connected to the pipe 21, immediately below the liared opening 26, is an upwardly inclined pipe 31 having its upper end iared, as at 32, and terminating in the plane of the bottom of the air passage 33, formed in the partition 29. A funnel-shaped strainer 34 is adapted to be fitted into the flared end 32 for cleaning the air in its passage down the pipe. At a point intermediate the ends of the pipe 31 is arranged a soil trap 33, for the collection of any filth which may remain in the air after its passage through the strainer 34.

In Figs. 3 and 5, there is shown a modified form of the air and drip-water pipes, and in which construction, the pipe 21 terminates, at its upper end, in an elbow 35, substantially S-shaped to provide a soil trap portion 36, which is provided with an outlet 37, adapted to opening through the wall of the partition, and to be normally closed by a screw cap or plug 38. Supported by, or

connected to the free end of the trap 36, is an inlet drip nozzle 39 having a flared opening 40, in which is to be supported a strainer 41. Inclining upwardly from the connected portion of the elbo-w 35, is a pipe 42, which terminates in a second elbow 43 bent to provide a trap portion 44, the latter having a normally closed outlet 45, and supporting an air inlet nozzle 46, which is formed with a flared inlet 47 arranged in the plane of the usual air. passage 48. A strainer 49 may also be provided for the inlet 47, for the purpose hereinbefore set forth. The flared portion 40, of the drip nozzle 39 is disposed l in proper position to receive the water from the ice chamber of the refrigerator.

In F ig. 4, there is shown the preferred form of piping arangement,when it is de sired to utilize the drip water only, and the same comprises a vertically disposed lower pipe section 50, and an upper vertically disposed pipe section 51, connecting'the lower pipe section 50 through the medium of an S-shaped trap-member 52, which is formed with a discharge outlet 53, the latter being normally closed by a screw cap or plug 54.

To admit of free circulation of the cold air from the refrigerator, andthe air openings 23, to and through the well 10, a pipe 55 leads from the top of the well and connects the same to atmospherethrough the wall or roof of the building. Y p

It is to be understood thatJ variousl other arrangements and changes in .the detail construction may be resorted to, in the aecomplishment of the desired purpose of the invention, without departing from the spirit and scope of thelatter.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed, is

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the -combination with a refrigerator, of an ,auxiliary chamber removed from said refrigerator, a water-tight containerA within` said chamber and movable vertically thereof, means for raising and lowering said con-` tainer within said chamber, and means for discharging the drip-water and a Yportion of the cold air from said refrigerator into said chamber.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a refrigerator, of an auxiliary chamber removed from said refrigerator, a water-tight container within said chamber and movable vertically thereof, means for raising and lowering said container Within said chamber, means for discharging the drip-water and a portion of the cold air from said refrigerator into said chamber, an air outlet connecting the upper portion of said chamber, and a water discharge outlet opening through the wall of the lower portion of said chamber.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a refrigerator, of an auXiliary chamber removed from said refrigerator, a Water-tight container within said chamber and movable vertically thereof, means for raising and lowering said container within said chamber, means for dis charging the drip-water and a portion of the cold air from said refrigerator into said chamber, an air outlet connecting the upper portion of said chamber to atmosphere, a water discharge outlet opening through the wall of the lower portion of said chamber, and means for deflecting the flow of water from said chamber.

4. A refrigerator having an ice chamber disposed in the upper portion thereof, a partition Wall dividing the lower portion of said refrigerator into oppositely disposed storage compartments, a drip pipe carried in said partition and connecting with said ice chamber and extending through the bottom wall of said refrigerator, and a soil trap carried by said drip pipe and opening through the walls of said partition.

5. A refrigerator having an ice chamber disposed in the upper portion thereof, a partition wall dividing the lower portion of said refrigerator into oppositely disposed storage compartments, a drip pipe carried in said partition and connecting with said ice chamber and extending through the bottom wall of said refrigerator, a pipe connecting said drip pipe with the upper portion of said ice chamber for conducting cooled air downward therethrough, and soil traps carried by said air and drip pipes and opening through the walls of said partition.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. MERITHEW.

Witnesses:

J. WARNER BROWN, D. W. WALKER.

Uopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

